Episode:6
It was 10:30 in the morning. The sun had appeared with all its warmth. Kattu, Lallu, and Kiwi were at school. It was their break time, and the three of them were sitting under the shade of a chinar tree on the right side of the school.
Kattu looked at Lallu, whose face clearly showed signs of worry.
Trying to find the reason for his concern, Kattu said,
"What happened, friend? Why are you so quiet today?"
Lallu let out a deep sigh and said,
"Ah… what should I say, yaar? Father is going to the city. I asked him many times to take me along, but he didn't agree. I really want to go to the city. I went there only once when I was two years old. And now whenever I ask him, he says, 'I already showed you the city very well. If you don't remember it, that's not my fault.'"
Kattu, who was lying back with both hands behind his head, listening carefully, spoke casually as soon as Lallu finished,
"Oh come on, friend, such a small thing—and you've been sulking since morning?"
Lallu replied seriously,
"This is not a small thing. I have to go to the city. Father never takes me along, and this time I've made up my mind—no matter what happens, I will go to Peshawar with him."
Kattu said,
"Alright, don't worry. I'll come up with a plan."
Lallu quickly said,
"Then think fast, because Father will leave for Peshawar this evening."
Kiwi, who had been silently listening to their conversation the whole time, finally spoke seriously after understanding Lallu's concern,
"By the way, Lallu, why is your father going to Peshawar?"
Lallu replied,
"Well, this time our tobacco crop turned out really good. A week ago, Father's cousin came from Peshawar. He deals with exporting tobacco to other countries. When he saw our crop, he said, 'Mashallah, your tobacco crop is excellent this time, and I want to buy all of it.'"
Lallu continued,
"So Father harvested the entire crop within a week, and today he's taking seven carts full of tobacco to Peshawar."
Kiwi said,
"Oh, I see."
Kattu asked,
"For how many days is your father going?"
Lallu replied,
"For one day."
Kattu said,
"Then that's fine. I actually have a really good plan. Want to hear it?"
Kiwi said,
"For a good deed, why even ask? Go ahead."
Kattu joked,
"Wow, Kiwi! Spending day and night with the principal has at least had one benefit for you."
All three of them smiled lightly at this.
Lallu said,
"Alright, Kattu, tell us the plan."
Kattu said,
"Okay… listen carefully…"
And in a secretive manner, he began explaining his plan.
After two minutes, they heard someone clearing their throat. When the three looked up nervously, they weren't surprised to see their teacher standing there.
The teacher said,
"So, you three gentlemen, what kind of 'khichdi' are you cooking here?"
Kattu stuttered nervously,
"W…we… we're not planning anything… it's just break time, so we were talking."
The teacher smirked and said,
"Oh really? Then there must have been some special topic of discussion—certainly not related to studies."
Lallu innocently said,
"Yes, sir, we were talking about Pesha—"
Before he could finish, Kattu quickly nudged his shoulder. Lallu immediately changed his statement,
"I mean… we were discussing professions, and you were actually our main topic."
The teacher said,
"Oh really? Then let me also hear why such great personalities chose me as the subject of their honorable discussion."
He stared directly at Lallu. Since Lallu couldn't think of an answer, he lightly tapped Kattu's hand. Kattu immediately understood and stepped in.
Kattu cleverly replied,
"Sir, today we thought a lot about professions, and after discussion, the three of us decided that when we grow up, we will become teachers—just like you."
Lallu interrupted,
"Yes, but with one difference—we won't trouble children like you do…"
Kattu and Kiwi both lightly hit their head after hearing this.
The teacher said angrily,
"Absolutely not! If even the devil puts such thoughts in your minds, consider it a temptation and seek refuge in God. Because if even one of you useless boys becomes a teacher, the whole country's fate will change!"
"Now forget such nonsense and go back to class."
Saying this angrily, he grabbed Kattu and Lallu by their ears and took them inside the classroom, while Kiwi followed quietly behind.
At 1:30, after school ended, the three came out in a line from their class and reached outside the school gate.
Kattu said,
"Do exactly as I told you. Got it?"
Lallu and Kiwi replied together,
"Got it."
Kattu said enthusiastically,
"Then run to your homes!"
The three of them ran off laughing and entered their respective homes.
They changed their clothes, ate food, and secretly gathered some supplies.
Kattu went to his goat Shano and lovingly placed a bottle of pure cow's milk in front of her. Stroking her head, he whispered in her ear,
"My dear Shano, I'm going to Peshawar for one day. Forgive me… you'll have to take care of yourself during this time."
He said this while crying.
"And whenever you feel hungry, make the same sounds I taught you so that everyone is forced to feed you. Come on, let's make those sounds together one last time."
Crying, Kattu stroked Shano's head and began making loud, completely off-tune sounds:
"Meeeh… me… meeeh… meeeh… meeeehhh…"
Shano (the goat) also started making sounds with him:
"Meeeh… me… meeeh… meeeh… meeeehhh…"
Annoyed by their horrible noises, everyone in the house covered their ears. Kattu's father, extremely irritated, came over with a stick.
Kattu and Shano were still busy making noises when his father struck Kattu moderately on his backside. Kattu fell face-first into Shano's dung.
Lifting his head, he looked at Shano emotionally and said,
"Thank you, Shano, for coming into my life."
As he stood up, he saw his father in front of him. With teary eyes and dramatic tone, he said,
"Father, please take good care of my Shano in my absence. Feed her pure cow's milk on time."
Father said,
"Why? Are you going somewhere?"
Kattu immediately panicked and replied,
"N-no, Father! Where would I go? I'm innocent."
Father sarcastically said,
"Yes, very innocent."
Looking at Kattu's dirty face, he angrily said,
"Get up, you useless boy! What kind of madness is this?"
He grabbed him by the collar and dragged him to the veranda.
There, Kattu's mother saw his dirty clothes and began lamenting,
"Oh my God! Just now he wore clean clothes and went outside, and now look at him!"
Crying dramatically, she said,
"Oh my fate! What kind of people have you tied me with, O God!"
Kattu's father, already angry, said,
"That's enough drama!"
She immediately stopped crying.
Father said to Kattu,
"And you… go take a bath."
Kattu quietly replied,
"Yes, Father."
Father said in surprise,
"Wow! Let's see where the sun rose from today."
(He said this while looking at Kattu's mother.)
Kattu's mother muttered,
"Don't do more drama,"
and went into the kitchen with a frown.
Kattu's father stood in the veranda, slightly embarrassed, while Kattu's grandmother laughed loudly and said,
"A washerman's dog—belongs neither to home nor to the riverbank."